Rockglen, Saskatchewan
Encyclopedia
Rockglen, Saskatchewan
, Canada
, is a community in the Burning Hills of the Wood Mountain Uplands, providing a school, community hall, public library and five parks, as well a local service industry. The municipal office of Rural Municipality #12 Old Post lies within the boundaries of Rockglen, and Rockglen businesses are supported primarily by agriculture. In the Burning Hills agriculture consists of dry land farming and cattle. Rockglen is located along Highway 2
south of Assiniboia
, Highway 18
west of Coronach
, and Highways 2 and 18 north of Port Poplar River. In addition Rockglen Airport
(CKC7) lies 2.2 km east of town.
who left one of the strongest impressions. Following the Battle of Little Bighorn 23,000 Hunkpa Lakota fled to the Wood Mountain Uplands where they were under the protection of the North-West Mounted Police under the command of Major James Morrow Walsh
. The hills, first surveyed by the Henry Youle Hind
expedition in 1858, were used for hunting by day, and at night fires could be seen of meat being smoked. In 1879 the U.S. Cavalry set fires in Montana that spread and burned the grasslands of Rockglen, causing the ensuing famine and leading to the toponym "The Burning Hills."
It is in these Burning Hills where the Ferbane ranch was located. By 1910 the homestead became a post office, soon German and Austro-Hungarian settlers built homesteads out of tar paper shacks and sod huts. Wood building were built for businesses, such as the pool hall, which also contained the Wesley Methodist church, which became the Wesley United Church of Canada
in 1925; Valley City became an unofficial community.
To the north the Kent homestead became a post office in 1915. Soon thereafter Beromé Prefontaine built a store and by 1917 Joeville, named for Joseph Prefontaine, was founded as a village. In 1926 Joeville was a prosperous community when the Canadian Pacific Railway
constructed a rail line south from Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
and Alberta Pacific both built elevators along the line. Joeville spilt into the French community of Liseux near the new elevators and 26 buildings were moved south to the new CPR junction near Valley City. Valley City was relocated north of the tracks and incorporated as the Village of Rockglen in 1927.
Services were soon established in the tiny village. Mr. Sproul ran a school out of the Pinking Hotel on Centre Street. It was a community effort with desks and blackboards furnished by local carpenters and fundraising organized by Mr. Sproul. To the relief of Centre Street commerce a proper school house was built in 1928. It had three rooms: Mr. Preston as principal and two classes instructed by Miss Campbell and Miss Jarvis. In 1929 the Red Cross built a hospital, and a permanent post office was built, as was a branch of the Imperial Bank of Canada
, and Charlie Switallo’s hardware store, which was the longest running Rockglen business to date.
Electric lighting was provided from 1929–1950 by the Rockglen Power Company, which ran every day from dusk to midnight, when three flashes indicated shut down. It wasn’t until 1950 when the Saskatchewan Power Corporation came to Rockglen that full 24-hour 120- and 240-volt electric service came to Rockglen.
The depression caused rural decline which was furthered by mechanization of agriculture during the later stages and in the time following the Second World War. Nearby Constance and Strathcona were dissolved and the one-room rural school houses were replaced by a system of buses and Bombardier tracked vehicles for winter use. Rockglen grew to a population of 500 persons when incorporated as a town with L. J. Bolster elected the first mayor. During the 1960s a new school was constructed, as well as a new post office, school office, Imperial Bank of Canada, and hotel.
The late 1970s saw a rise of inflation, combined with exceptionally high grain prices; many farmers retired and moved into Rockglen. In 1975 construction began on the Poplar River Power Station
in nearby Coronach
commissioned in 1981. 1981 also saw the construction of a new Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator. This is currently the last elevator in Rockglen and is owned by Poplar Valley Producers Co-operative. The resulting population influx had led to development of homes along Second Avenue and construction of Hillcrest Drive. To date, these are the newest housing developments in Rockglen. In 1988, Rockglen resident Jack Wolfe was elected as a Progressive Conservative
Member of Legislative Assembly
a position in which he served until 1991.
As of 2009, more than four "Bigfoot
" sightings have been reported South of and within the town of Rockglen, most notably on the top of "Columbus" where residents report seeing the creature taunting local wildlife. Locals have come to call the unknown creature "Zoobey" or "Zoobs".
The only light industry, though it too could be considered a service, is that of Nielson's Welding along Highway #2. The largest economic contributor is the Rockglen Co-op, which is the largest co-op south of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
, and through sales of products such as lumber to Montana cattlemen attracts a significant amount of foreign business.
Rail transit was privately owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway
until a shortline was taken-over by Southern Rails Cooperative
in 2006; Rockglen is now a transfer point between Souther Rails Cooperative and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The town is a part owner of the Fife Lake Railway
.
Other privately owned businesses include;
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is a community in the Burning Hills of the Wood Mountain Uplands, providing a school, community hall, public library and five parks, as well a local service industry. The municipal office of Rural Municipality #12 Old Post lies within the boundaries of Rockglen, and Rockglen businesses are supported primarily by agriculture. In the Burning Hills agriculture consists of dry land farming and cattle. Rockglen is located along Highway 2
Saskatchewan Highway 2
Highway 2 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the longest Saskatchewan Highway, at 809 km . The highway is partially divided and undivided. However, only about near Moose Jaw, near Chamberlain, and near Prince Albert are divided highway...
south of Assiniboia
Assiniboia
Assiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
, Highway 18
Saskatchewan Highway 18
Highway 18 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 13 near Robsart to the Manitoba border near Gainsborough, where it becomes Highway 3. Highway 18 is about 714 km long.-Communities along the route:...
west of Coronach
Coronach, Saskatchewan
Coronach is a community in southern Saskatchewan, Canada near the US border. It was founded in 1926 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and named after Coronach, the horse who had just won the Epsom Derby in England that year...
, and Highways 2 and 18 north of Port Poplar River. In addition Rockglen Airport
Rockglen Airport
Rockglen Airport, , is located southeast of Rockglen, Saskatchewan, Canada....
(CKC7) lies 2.2 km east of town.
History
Vestiges from before the last ice age, a land of hidden treasures, petrified wood and fossils, hammers and arrows of the Assiniboine, Plains Cree, and Blackfoot peoples. But it is the followers of Sitting BullSitting Bull
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull Sitting Bull (Lakota: Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (in Standard Lakota Orthography), also nicknamed Slon-he or "Slow"; (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies...
who left one of the strongest impressions. Following the Battle of Little Bighorn 23,000 Hunkpa Lakota fled to the Wood Mountain Uplands where they were under the protection of the North-West Mounted Police under the command of Major James Morrow Walsh
James Morrow Walsh
James Morrow Walsh, was a North West Mounted Police officer and the first Commissioner of the Yukon Territory....
. The hills, first surveyed by the Henry Youle Hind
Henry Youle Hind
Henry Youle Hind was a Canadian geologist and explorer. He was born in Nottingham, England, and immigrated to Toronto, Ontario in 1846. He taught chemistry and geology at Trinity College in Toronto....
expedition in 1858, were used for hunting by day, and at night fires could be seen of meat being smoked. In 1879 the U.S. Cavalry set fires in Montana that spread and burned the grasslands of Rockglen, causing the ensuing famine and leading to the toponym "The Burning Hills."
It is in these Burning Hills where the Ferbane ranch was located. By 1910 the homestead became a post office, soon German and Austro-Hungarian settlers built homesteads out of tar paper shacks and sod huts. Wood building were built for businesses, such as the pool hall, which also contained the Wesley Methodist church, which became the Wesley United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in 1925; Valley City became an unofficial community.
To the north the Kent homestead became a post office in 1915. Soon thereafter Beromé Prefontaine built a store and by 1917 Joeville, named for Joseph Prefontaine, was founded as a village. In 1926 Joeville was a prosperous community when the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
constructed a rail line south from Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located south-southwest of Moose Jaw beside Highway 2 and Highway 13.-History:...
. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was a grain handling, agri-food processing and marketing company based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Pool created a network of marketing alliances in North America and internationally which made it the largest agricultural grain handling operation in the province of...
and Alberta Pacific both built elevators along the line. Joeville spilt into the French community of Liseux near the new elevators and 26 buildings were moved south to the new CPR junction near Valley City. Valley City was relocated north of the tracks and incorporated as the Village of Rockglen in 1927.
Services were soon established in the tiny village. Mr. Sproul ran a school out of the Pinking Hotel on Centre Street. It was a community effort with desks and blackboards furnished by local carpenters and fundraising organized by Mr. Sproul. To the relief of Centre Street commerce a proper school house was built in 1928. It had three rooms: Mr. Preston as principal and two classes instructed by Miss Campbell and Miss Jarvis. In 1929 the Red Cross built a hospital, and a permanent post office was built, as was a branch of the Imperial Bank of Canada
Imperial Bank of Canada
The Imperial Bank of Canada was a Canadian bank based in Toronto in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century.Founded in 1873 as the Imperial Bank in Toronto by Henry Stark Howland, former vice president of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. The bank became the Imperial Bank of Canada in 1874.In...
, and Charlie Switallo’s hardware store, which was the longest running Rockglen business to date.
Electric lighting was provided from 1929–1950 by the Rockglen Power Company, which ran every day from dusk to midnight, when three flashes indicated shut down. It wasn’t until 1950 when the Saskatchewan Power Corporation came to Rockglen that full 24-hour 120- and 240-volt electric service came to Rockglen.
The depression caused rural decline which was furthered by mechanization of agriculture during the later stages and in the time following the Second World War. Nearby Constance and Strathcona were dissolved and the one-room rural school houses were replaced by a system of buses and Bombardier tracked vehicles for winter use. Rockglen grew to a population of 500 persons when incorporated as a town with L. J. Bolster elected the first mayor. During the 1960s a new school was constructed, as well as a new post office, school office, Imperial Bank of Canada, and hotel.
The late 1970s saw a rise of inflation, combined with exceptionally high grain prices; many farmers retired and moved into Rockglen. In 1975 construction began on the Poplar River Power Station
Poplar River Power Station
Poplar River Power Station is a coal fired station owned by SaskPower, located near Coronach, Saskatchewan, Canada.The project to build the station was launched in the fall of 1974, with the Morrison Dam being constructed between 1975 and 1977 to provide cooling water for the station. Work on the...
in nearby Coronach
Coronach, Saskatchewan
Coronach is a community in southern Saskatchewan, Canada near the US border. It was founded in 1926 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and named after Coronach, the horse who had just won the Epsom Derby in England that year...
commissioned in 1981. 1981 also saw the construction of a new Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator. This is currently the last elevator in Rockglen and is owned by Poplar Valley Producers Co-operative. The resulting population influx had led to development of homes along Second Avenue and construction of Hillcrest Drive. To date, these are the newest housing developments in Rockglen. In 1988, Rockglen resident Jack Wolfe was elected as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan
The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a right-of-centre political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories....
Member of Legislative Assembly
Member of Legislative Assembly
A Member of Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature of a State in the Indian system of government...
a position in which he served until 1991.
As of 2009, more than four "Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
" sightings have been reported South of and within the town of Rockglen, most notably on the top of "Columbus" where residents report seeing the creature taunting local wildlife. Locals have come to call the unknown creature "Zoobey" or "Zoobs".
Current government
As a town Rockglen has a mayor fulfilling executive duties and a town council to pass bylaws. At present His Worship Richard Prefountain, retired farmer, is mayor. The judicial role is fulfilled by the provincial government in accordance with the Municipal Act.Geography and demographics
As of the 2001 census Rockglen occupies 2.82 km² with a population of 450 down 6.4 % from a 1996 population of 481, occupying 239 homes. A service driven economy provides supplies, medical, veterinary, and entertainment to the surrounding rural economy, as well as an emerging retirement community.Economy
Rockglen provides services to surrounding farms, ranches, feedlots, and employees of the Poplar River power station and nearby Poplar River Mine, in addition to a significant retirement population.The only light industry, though it too could be considered a service, is that of Nielson's Welding along Highway #2. The largest economic contributor is the Rockglen Co-op, which is the largest co-op south of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan
Assiniboia is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located south-southwest of Moose Jaw beside Highway 2 and Highway 13.-History:...
, and through sales of products such as lumber to Montana cattlemen attracts a significant amount of foreign business.
Rail transit was privately owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
until a shortline was taken-over by Southern Rails Cooperative
Southern Rails Cooperative
The Southern Rails Cooperative Ltd. is a Canadian short line railway company operating on trackage in southwest Saskatchewan. Southern Rails Cooperative was the first shortline railway to operate in Saskatchewan and operated as the first modern common carrier shortline railway...
in 2006; Rockglen is now a transfer point between Souther Rails Cooperative and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The town is a part owner of the Fife Lake Railway
Fife Lake Railway
The Fife Lake Railway is a Canadian shortline railway company operating on trackage in Saskatchewan, Canada. The railway is owned by seven local municipalities. The Fife Lake Railway took over the former Canadian Pacific Railway Fife Lake subdivision consisting of 94 km of trackage.The owners of...
.
Other privately owned businesses include;
- Rockglen Agencies (1985) Ltd. Insurance and Licenses www.RockglenAgencies.com
- Rockglen Killdeer Credit UnionCredit unionA credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
- Poplar Hills Producers Co-op
- Cousin's Hotel & Bar
- Coop Run Grocery Store and Gas Station
- Borderland VetVetVet may refer to:* Vet or veterinarian, a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals* Veteran, a person with long experience in a particular area, most often in military service during wartime...
Clinic - Valley Farm & Ranch Supply
- Body FX
- Dreamland Theatre
Sports teams
- Nighthawks, hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
- Rockglen Raiders, Saskatchewan High Schools Athletics Association
Notable Rockglenites
- Tyler Lewis - 2006 Canadian IdolCanadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
Finalist - Miriam MandelMiriam MandelMiriam Mandel was a Canadian poet who won Canada's Governor General's Award.-Life:Miriam Mandel was born in Rockglen, Saskatchewan....
- 1973 Governor General's Award1973 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1973 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-English Language:*Fiction: Rudy Wiebe, The Temptations of Big Bear....
-winning poet. - John "Jack" WolfeJohn Thomas WolfeJohn Thomas Wolfe was a community veterinarian before becoming a Canadian provincial politician. He was the Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Assiniboia-Gravelbourg, from 1988 until 1991.- Early life :Wolfe was born in Rockglen,...
- Member of the Legislative Assembly (1988–1991) - "Zoobey" - Legenday "BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
" who is said to reside in the area